I want to say late summer or early fall of 2008. I'm on the board of a lot of entrepreneurial and
technologically oriented nonprofits. One of them is the Philadelphia Area New
Media Association, and they're into social networking and media
applications because of their business. One of the other board members asked me
to join and, not really thinking much about it, I did.

How did you come up with your "Scary Lawyer" moniker?

I picked an ironic name because
I'm in the [technology community] and sometimes they look at me like I've got three
heads because I'm the only lawyer in the room.

How often do you Tweet?

In the first few months I did more observing than
participating. But I've come to use it a lot more
as I realized that a lot of my clients are on there as well as some groups
that I'm involved with.

What do you Tweet about?

It's an outlet for my professional activities. I can
tell people I'm going to be on a panel doing XYZ on a certain night, so it's a
good way to get it out there.

Do you follow your clients on Twitter? How has that affected the dynamic of your relationship?

Yes. I think that its enhanced the personal relationship. [Twitter] makes it easier for each of us to let the other know what we're doing on a real-time basis.

I've noticed your Tweets aren't just about business.

It's certainly also an outlet for self-expression and
other things that are going on in my life that I don't mind sharing. I like to
talk about music, the Phillies, and other things I find
interesting. So it's a mix. I don't use it in a hardcore,
professional way, but I'm pretty active.

Do you ever worry about being too personal on Twitter, knowing your clients are following?

I certainly make those decisions. There are things that I consider off-limits. I only Tweet about things that I'm willing to share. I'm not going to Tweet about things that I'm uncomfortable talking about.

Have you managed to get any
of your partners from the firm on Twitter?

Not that I'm aware of. But they tend to look at me like
the deranged uncle in the attic with all of the tech stuff that I do. So that
doesn't surprise me.

Do you think more lawyers should Tweet with their clients?

I want to keep all of the business I get! But it may not be for everyone. It probably depends on a lawyer's practice. I think you need to figure out what kind of relationship you have with your clients. I personally tend to be close with a lot of mine. Some clients it'll be years before they're even aware [Twitter] exists. So I'd say know thyself and know thy client base.